Amaranth
by beelzemongirl
Summary: Sequel to While Your Lips are Still Red. Angelicus overhears a plot to kill Daihmin, the Vampire King, and he and Caitlin set off to the City of Darkness to find the one responsible. But is there more than what they know?


**Hey all, it's BG. Here it is, my devoted readers: Amaranth, Book 2 of the Nightwish Chronicles. I hope you like it, 'cause I've worked hard for months on it. **

_Amaranth  
By: BG  
Chapter 1_

_Baptized with a perfect name,  
The Doubting one by heart,  
Alone without himself…._

It had been a month since I saw her last, Princess Caitlin of the elves. I can't say she was a princess now; she was now fully married to Daihmin, the Vampire King. Much to my sadness, she had accepted his Bite. For a whole month, I tried to forget her. For a whole month, I tried to drain my heart of love. But no matter how hard I tried, nothing worked.

My name is Angelicus, and I am a were lion. I'm among the last of a once proud and strong species. But after the vampire's Great Savannah Raid about twenty years ago, only a few hundred of us survived. My Pride, my family, were among the ones taken by the vampires, called Night Demons by my kind. I was only a cub back then, who before they came had not a care in the world. I played with my siblings, mother, and aunts while my father would watch out for enemies. It was a nice life, to be honest.

I still remember the night the vampires came. I was sleeping peacefully in a straw hammock I shared with my sister, Mina, with whom I was close to. I woke to my mother pushing the hammock up with her muzzle.  
"Wake children, quick. We must leave!" my mother said worriedly.

I woke as quickly, as did Mina, and mother picked her up by the scruff of her neck and carried her away. I jumped out of the hammock and ran off after her. We ran all the way to the river that divided my family's border, avoiding vampires on horseback as well we could as the Night Demons set fire to our land. But at the river, mother knew we were done for.

She looked at me, her beautiful brown eyes watering. She put Mina down in front of me. Then, she asked of me her very last favor.  
"Angelicus…..my sweet Angel….I need you to get Mina away from here. Take her across the river if you can. This is my last gift to both of you: Your lives. Make use of them".  
"What about you?" I asked.  
"Angel….there comes a time in everything's life when it must disappear. This is my time" she looked off into the distance, "Hurry, the Night Demons come".

I dragged my sister with all my might, while mother, like the enraged Sekhmet, fought off the Night Demons. I watched helplessly across the river as they trampled her, bit her, and drained her body dry of blood. Our whole territory was on fire. Nothing could save it.

In that moment, I vowed vengeance against the vampires, particularly against their leader.

I carried my sister all the way across what was left of the Great Savannah. After a few days, I couldn't move. The lack of food took my energy away and it was slowly killing both me and Mina. I didn't know how to hunt, so there was no way I could get food for both of us. I let out little cries for help. But what I got was not the help I wanted. I had caught the attention of a pack of Were-Hyenas, who only saw me and my sister as their next meal.

They circled us, closing in faster and faster every second. It was the end, I could feel it. I cringed before these insane seeming creatures. I screamed for help this time, and finally got the help I sought before. For once, I didn't go unanswered.

I saw something move in the darkness, like a living shadow. I heard the yips of dying and fleeing were-hyenas saw two glowing yellow-green orbs in the darkness, and white fangs that also appeared to glow. I saw the signature scar like marks on his left shoulder and chest. I smiled lightly. He too was a lycanthrope.

Thus was how I met Alain, my adoptive father and a were-panther. He could save me, but Mina was far too malnourished. I was forced to leave her behind.

It was just another reason to hate vampires….

**Yep, so now you know the truth about Angelicus, why he hates vampires and so on. I just thought it'd be interesting to point that out, since I didn't make it clear in the last one, so….yeah, I hope you guys liked this. The next chapter will be coming at you really soon. See you then. **


End file.
